Sponsored by Rep. Gooden, and signed into law in 2013 by Gov. Rick Perry, HB912 (the “Texas Privacy Act”) states that a person commits an offense if the person uses or authorizes the use of an unmanned vehicle or aircraft to capture an image without the express consent of the person who owns or lawfully occupies the real property captured in the image. An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. Exception made for law enforcement use of drones that includes a valid search warrant, probable cause to suspect that the target has committed a felony, rescue of person whose life is in imminent danger, and guarding the U.S.-Mexico border.

Authored by Sen. Troy Fraser, and signed into law in 2011 by Gov. Rick Perry, SB14 amends the Election Code of Texas to require a voter to present to an election officer at the polling place a state-approved form of photo identification. Despite the Obama administration’s politically-motivated 2012 suspension of the Texas law under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, SB14 went into effect in June 2013 after the U.S. Supreme Court struck Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Sponsored by Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, and pledged to be signed into law in 2013 by Gov. Rick Perry, HB2 states that a physician performing or inducing an abortion must, on the date the abortion is performed, have active admitting privileges at a hospital that is located not further than 30 miles from the location at which the abortion is performed or induced. Violators of the law will be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $4,000. In addition, a person may not knowingly give, sell, dispense, administer, provide, or prescribe an abortion-inducing drug to a pregnant woman for the purpose of inducing an abortion unless the person is a physician who administers the drug at a licensed abortion facility. Finally, on and after September 1, 2014, the minimum standards for an abortion facility must be equivalent to the minimum standards adopted under Section 243.010 for ambulatory surgical centers.

Chaired by Rep. Brandon Creighton, the Texas Federalism & Fiscal Responsibility Committee monitors actions of the federal government, including federal legislation and regulations that direct or suggest that states take certain actions or pass legislation.

Sponsored by Rep. Dwayne Bohac, and signed into law in 2013 by Gov. Rick Perry, HB308 (The ‘Merry Christmas Law’) codifies that a school district may educate students about the history of traditional winter celebrations, and allow students and district staff to offer traditional greetings regarding the celebrations, including: (1)”Merry Christmas”; (2) “Happy Hanukkah”; and (3) “happy holidays.” The law also provides that a school district may display on school property scenes or symbols associated with traditional winter celebrations, including a menorah or a Christmas image such as a nativity scene or Christmas tree.

Sponsored by Sen. Troy Fraser and Rep. Pitts, and signed into law in 2013 by Gov. Rick Perry, SJR1 and HB4 secure an abundant water supply for the State of Texas through a $2 billion water infrastructure development fund known as The State Water Implementation Fund (or SWIFT). The law empowers a highly-accountable, governor-appointed Texas Water Development Board to build reservoirs and water pipelines for industry, farming, and communities.

Sponsored by Rep. Steve Toth, HB1076 (the “Texas Firearms Protection Act”) would make any federal law banning semi-automatic firearms or limiting the size of gun magazines unenforceable within the state’s boundaries. HB1076 states that state officials and subdivisions “may not adopt a rule, order, ordinance, or policy under which the entity enforces, or by consistent action allows the enforcement of, a federal statute, order, rule, or regulation enacted on or after January 1, 2013, that purports to regulate a firearm, a firearm accessory, or firearm ammunition if the regulation imposes a prohibition, restriction, or other regulation (such as capacity or size limitation, a registration requirement, or a background check) that does not exist under the laws of this state….No entity described by Subsection (a) and no person employed by or otherwise under the direction or control of the entity may enforce or attempt to enforce any federal statute, order, rule or regulation.” An offense under this Act is a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to $4,000 and one year in prison.

Sponsored by Rep. Giovanni Capriglione and backed by Gov. Rick Perry, HB3505 would create the Texas Bullion Depository, a state-based bank to house $1 billion worth of gold bars owned by the University of Texas Investment Management Co. and presently stored by the Federal Reserve. The bill also preemptively nullifies any confiscation of Texas gold by the federal government. HB3505 creates the Texas Bullion Depository to “serve as the custodian, guardian, and administrator of all bullion and specie transferred to or otherwise acquired by this state; provide the basis for a system for precious metals-denominated intergovernmental payments and settlements; establish a process and mechanism by which the system is able to function in the event of a systemic dislocation in a national and international financial system, including systemic problems in liquidity, credit markets, or currency markets; and provide a regulatory and administrative framework for the system to be made available to private persons.”

Sponsored by Reps. Otto, Aycock, Pitts, Darby, and Keffer, HB 553 (“Second Amendment Preservation Act”) states that federal firearms regulations infringe a Texan’s right to bear arms in direct violation of the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and, therefore, are “invalid in this State and shall be further considered null and void and of no effect in this State.” A person who is a Peace Officer, State Officer, or State Employee, [or public servant] “commits an offense if the person…intentionally enforces or attempts to enforce any acts, laws, executive orders, agency orders, rules or regulations of any kind whatsoever of the United States government relating to confiscating any firearm, banning any firearm, limiting the size of a magazine for any firearm, imposing any limit on the ammunition that may be purchased for any firearm, taxing any firearm or ammunition therefore, or requiring the registration of any firearm or ammunition therefore.” Violators are guilty of a Class A or Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to one year confinement and a fine of $10,000.

Sponsored by Sen. Jane Nelson with early backing from Gov. Rick Perry, SB11 states that “each adult applicant for financial assistance benefits, including an applicant applying solely on behalf of a child, who initially applies for those benefits or who applies for the continuation of those benefits must submit to a controlled substance use screening assessment to establish the applicant’s or the child’s eligibility for the benefits. A person whose controlled substance use screening assessment conducted under this section indicates good cause to suspect the person of controlled substance use shall submit to a drug test to establish the eligibility of the person and the person’s family for financial assistance benefits.”

Sponsored by Reps Charlie Howard and Warren Chisum, and signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry, HB3678 (a.k.a. “Religious Viewpoints Anti-discrimination Act” and also “Schoolchildren ’s Religious Liberties Act”) amends the Education Code to require school districts to adopt and implement a local policy that provides for a limited public forum and voluntary student expression of religious viewpoints at school events and graduation ceremonies, in class assignments, and in noncurricular school groups and activities. The bill requires the district to treat such expression on an otherwise permissible subject in the same manner as the expression of a secular or other viewpoint and prohibits the district from discriminating against a student based on his or her expressed religious viewpoint.

Authored by Rep. Sid Miller, sponsored by Sen. Dan Patrick, and signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry, HB15 amends the Health and Safety Code to include that a sonogram be performed for a pregnant woman at least 24 hours before an abortion.

Authored by Rep. Brandon Creighton and signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry, HB274 amends the Civil Practice and Remedies Code to require a court that hears a civil proceeding, on a motion to dismiss, to award costs and reasonable and necessary attorney’s fees to the prevailing party, except in specified actions. Parties who lose a motion to dismiss must pay the other sides’ court costs and attorneys’ fees.